Synopsis Economists and job market experts said the increase in the number of lateral white-collar job positions could be attributed to the need among certain sectors to recruit for their long-term growth plans as well as replacement hiring in sectors facing high attrition. Agencies Non-tech sectors such as BFSI, infrastructure, manufacturing, health and wellness, telecom, goods and logistics, automobile and electric vehicle and hospitality companies are contributing significantly to job creation. Mumbai: India's white-collar job market in February recorded the first positive year-on-year movement in eight months, even as companies remain cautious amid global macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and growth concerns. The number of active white-collar job openings at 300,000 in February was 5% more from a year earlier when it was 285,000, according to data from LinkedIn and other top job boards. This is also the highest jobs count in the last seven months and 8% higher than January, show the data collated by specialist staffing firm Xpheno for ET. The lowest count for the period was 210,000 in September. Economists and job market experts said the increase in the number of lateral white-collar job positions could be attributed to the need among certain sectors to recruit for their long-term growth plans as well as replacement hiring in sectors facing high attrition. Agencies Non-tech sectors such as BFSI, infrastructure, manufacturing, health and wellness, telecom, goods and logistics, automobile and electric vehicle and hospitality companies are contributing significantly to job creation. The IT collective of tech services, products and internet-enabled startups - where several global companies as well as domestic startups recently carried out mass layoffs - recorded 14% growth month-on-month to close at a six-month high of 128,000 in February. However, on a year-on-year basis, the IT sector's active demand closed 46% less than the same month last year (235,000 in February 2022). "A mix of replacement and expansion hiring across key talent sectors has set the tone for the quarter and the next fiscal start," said Xpheno cofounder Anil Ethanur. "On the macro terms, India is still a better-performing economy than many global markets. Despite the moderation in the third-quarter GDP numbers, the yearend growth forecast stands at 7%, which is good enough for job creation in certain sectors based on growth prospects," said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist, Bank of Baroda . However, new jobs growth will be restricted to industries such as services, manufacturing, steel, cement, automobile and EV, infrastructure and construction, he added. India's gross domestic product for the October-December quarter moderated to 4. 4% from 6. 3% in the previous quarter, data released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation showed on Tuesday. Don’t miss out on ET Prime stories! Get your daily dose of business updates on WhatsApp. click here! Wednesday, 01 Mar, 2023 Experience Your Economic Times Newspaper, The Digital Way! Read Complete Print Edition » Front Page Pure Politics Companies Brands & Companies More Economy Grows at a Slower Pace of 4. 4% in Dec qtr The Indian economy grew at a slower-than-expected 4. 4% in the December quarter compared with 6. 3% in the preceding three-month period, weighed down by base normalisation and weakness in consumption. Hope It Doesn’t Take a Second Pandemic to Build Right Tools The world needs to build more tools and global institutions to tackle any future pandemic, Bill Gates, cofounder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said in an interview to ET’s Deborshi Chaki. SAP to Double India Investment in 5yrs India is “a winner” and “a bright spot” in a world that’s in turmoil, says Christian Klein, chief executive at SAP SE. The German software giant aims to double its investments in India over the next five years. Read More News on jobs Xpheno india job market india jobs hiring bank of baroda ETPrime stories of the day Strategy Stock Radar: This auto component maker may retest 52-week highs in 2 months; should you buy? 3 mins read Under the lens Pay up abroad, but play around in India. Are global firms taking Indian regulators for a ride? 14 mins read Blockchain Smoke without 5ire? India’s ‘fastest-growing blockchain unicorn’ and a USD1. 5 billion question. 10 mins read Subscribe to ETPrime.